AirPods Reviews Show Apple's Wireless Earbuds To Be Well-Received

After weeks of delays, the wireless earbuds Apple hyped up during its iPhone 7 event are finally available for purchase. Despite all the trouble, early reviews of the AirPods suggest they were worth the wait after all.

The truly wire-free earbuds, packed with proprietary Apple technology including Apple’s W1 wireless chip, have thus far impressed many of the people who have gotten their hands (and ears) on the device.

According to a review from MacWorld, which gave the AirPods an eight out of 10, the battery life and sound quality from Apple’s wireless buds are better than anticipated. Even better, the AirPods remain comfortably in the ear at all times despite concerns they would fall out easily.

“The AirPods stay put when I’m dancing, headbanging, jogging, hanging upside down, riding my stationary bike, sprinting to catch the bus, and shaking my head around smacking my temple like I’m trying to dislodge water stuck in my ear,” Susie Ochs of MacWorld wrote.

TechRadar’s review found a similar results in its testing. “Do they stay in your ear? So far, we gave them a solid ‘early 90s grunge headbanging’ test and they didn't fall out once. That'll vary for people with different ear shapes, of course,” noted reviewer Matt Swider.

The separate earbuds even bring some unique listening features according to Pocket-Lint, which found the AirPods would automatically adjust the listening experience based on how a user was wearing them. Put both pods in and the music starts; take one out and it automatically switches from stereo to mono audio; remove both completely and the music pauses.

While some reviewers were impressed with the fit and features of AirPods, Wired—which provided the harshest early critique of the earbuds—was left wanting more in the sound department.

Reviewer David Pierce concluded the AirPods sound like any old Bluetooth headphones, which is to say not that great. “Apple’s evidently not all that concerned with how they sound,” he wrote. “Your $159 doesn’t buy you any better audio than you’ll get from the EarPods that come free in the box with your iPhone.”

Battery life of the AirPods seemed to be one of the unifying features among reviewers, which just about everyone who got to try out the device finding the headphones last longer than expected—sometimes even outperforming Apple’s promise of five hours on a single charge.

One area that will require an adjustment for many users is the reliance on Siri, which becomes essential for the wire-free earbuds. Most controls on the AirPods require Siri’s help to complete since there are no buttons. While the microphone quality is good enough for Siri to hear requests clearly, 9to5Mac’s review noted this still leaves the user subject to Siri’s limitations, which are many.

Across the board from reviewers and early adopters, the response to the AirPods seems to be generally positive. The wireless earbuds aren’t a total must-have hit but like most Apple products, people will start to rely on them over time until they can’t imagine how they ever lived without them.